Drawer guide



Nov. l1, 1969 H. w. NxEMl DRAWER GUIDE Filed May 19, 196'? lIl INVENTOR.

, SYM/W- HerbQrf W. Nl'em'l' TTORNE Y.

United States Patent O 3,477,770 DRAWER GUIDE Herbert W. Niemi, NewMiddletown, Ohio, assignor to Impex Corporation, North Lima, Ohio FiledMay 19, 1967, Ser. No. 639,750

Int. Cl. F16c 29/00; A47b 88/04 U.S. Cl. 30S-3.6 2 Claims ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE A drawer guide for attachment to the bottom of a drawerfor cooperation with a track mounted on a furniture frame, the drawerguide comprising an elongated body member having integrally formedsubstantially perpendicular transversely spaced flanges dependingtherefrom, with a plurality of longitudinally spaced inturned guidingfingers on said flanges with intermediate portions of said flangesrounded inwardly in oppositely disposed congurations partially separatedfrom said flanges so as to yieldingly engage the sides of a track onwhich the drawer guide is slidably engaged.

which provide means on the drawer engageable with l means in thefurniture frame for 'attempting satisfactory guiding and slidingoperation of the drawer. The devices of the prior art work well underconditions wherein the track on which the devices are engaged is held toclose tolerances in manufactureand installation, but fail where thetrack is not held to close tolerances or the drawer itself is notaccurately dimensioned with respect to the opening in the furniturecabinet, etc.

The principal object of the invention is therefore, the provision of adrawer guide that can be inexpensively fabricated and installed with aminimum of time and effort on a drawer so that the drawer upon beinginstalled in a furniture frame with the drawer guide engaged on a trackin the frame, will suitably guide and hold the drawer despiteirregularities in the size or position or shape of the track.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a drawer guidethat guides the drawer associated therewith for the entire lengththereof.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a drawerguide that restrains the drawer associated therewith from tipping as thedrawer is withdrawn past its center of gravity.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a drawerguide that may be molded by an injection molding process of a suitableself-lubricating plastic material possessing a degree of resiliency sothat the drawer guide yieldingly but iirmly engages the track in thefurniture frame at all times and thus contributes to the satisfactorymounting and operation of the drawer in the furniture.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a drawerguide including longitudinally extending means for continuously engaginga track in a furniture frame and a plurality of longitudinally spacedspring sections for continuously and yieldingly engaging the oppositesides of a track in a furniture frame, so that the drawer having3,477,770 Patented Nov. 11, 1969 ICC the drawer guide thereon isconstantly held in desired relation in the furniture frame.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes andmodifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposesof the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spiritand scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the drawer guide with paits broken away.

`FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the drawer guide with parts brokenaway.

`FIGURE 3 is a bottom elevation of the drawer guide with parts brokenaway.

lFIGURE 4 is an end elevation of the drawer guide showing the same on atrack in a furniture frame.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view showing the drawer guide with brokenlines showing the back and bottom poritions of a drawer on which theguide is installed.

By referring to the drawings, and FIGURE 5 in particular, it will beseen that a broken line representation of a portion of a bottom 10 of adrawer and the back 11 thereof have been illustrated, and that thedrawer guide is shown in position on the same. The drawer guidecomprises a longitudinally extending flat body member 12 having anupstanding end portion 13. The opposite or right end of the drawer guideas seen in FIGURE 5 is positioned adjacent the front of the drawer (notshown), and the drawer guide is affixed to the bottom 10 and the back 11of the drawer as by stapling the same thereto, orby suitable fasteningmeans, as will occur to those skilled in the art.

The drawer guide body member 10` has a pair of integrally moldedsubstantially perpendicular transversely spaced flanges 14 on its lowersurface in depending relation thereto, and extending throughout itslength. A plurality of integrally molded braces 15 are positioned alongthe outer sides of the flanges 14 and serve to hold the anges 14 inperpendicular relation to the body member 10. The body member 10 betweenthe flanges 14 is provided with a longitudinally exten-ding transverselyarcuate raised section 16, as best seen in FIGURES 3 and 4 of thedrawings, and each of the flanges 14 have a plurality of longitudinallyspaced inturned fingers 17. The area of the body member 10` immediatelyabove each of the inturned ngers 17 is cut away as at. 18, which isnecessary to permit the mold parts to be separated when the article ismolded. Each of the flanges 14 is also provided with a plurality oflongitudinally spaced inwardly bowed sections 19, which are positionedintermediate the inturned fingers 17, and the portions of the bodymember 10 immediately above each of the inwardly bowed sections 19 ofthe flanges 14 are cut away, as at 20. The cut away areas 20 permit themolds to be separated when the article is molded, but more importantly,they separate the upper portions of the flanges 14 from the body memmer10, so that the portions of the flanges 14 having the inwardly bowedsections 19 thereon may move relative to the body member 10` in aspring-like manner.

By referring again to FIGURE 5 of the drawings, it will be seen that theinturned ngers 17 at the extreme left end of the drawer guide are ofheavier configuration than the remainder of the fingers 17, and thatthese heavier lingers 17 are indicated by the numerals 17-A. Theseheavier fingers are integrally formed with buttresses 21 which join thefianges 14 as well as the body member 10 of the drawer guide, and theseheavier fingers 17-A being located adjacent the back 11 of the drawerwhen the drawer guide is installed, provide a positive means ofpreventing the drawer from tipping when it is extended out of thefurniture frame in which it is normally installed. The iingers 17 and17-A engaged a T-shaped track 22 as best seen in FIGURE 4 of thedrawings, which is secured to a frame member 23 of the furniture frame.

The track 22 is usually formed of wood and is generally nailed orotherwise aixed to the frame 23, and provides oppositely disposedoutturned flanges by reason of its T-formation which are particularlysuitable for engagement by the iingers 17 and 17-A of the drawer guide,as hereinbefore described.

Those skilled in the art will observe that the drawer guide constructionis such that it can also register with a track comprising a crosssectionally rectangular member having longitudinally extending channelsin its opposite sides, as is sometimes alternately used in furnitureconstruction. In either situation the drawer guide disclosed hereinoperates effectively for its intended purpose in accordance with theobjects of this invention, primarily by reason of its snug fit againstthe tract 22 under all conditions including variance of size of thetrack 22 itself, as frequently occurs. The self-conformingcharacteristics of the drawer guide disclosed herein occur by reason ofthe longitudinally extending transversely arcuate raised section 16which always engages the upper portion of the track 22, as best seen inFIGURE 4 of the drawings, and more importantly, by reason of theinwardly bowed sections 19 of the spaced flanges 14, which sections 19are themselves free of the remainder of the drawer guide by reason ofthe cut away area 20v hereinbefore described. Thus these inwardly bowedsections 19 act as spring tensioning members, always engaging the sidesof the track 22 regardless of the actual size, shape or variationsthereof, as will occur in furniture constructions. It has beendetermined that when the inwardly bowed sections 19 first engage a track22 in a furniture construction, the sections 19 move by reason of theexibility of the flanges 14 to a position suitable for the particulartrack engaged, and that thereafter they retain this position so that thedrawer always slides in a smooth, even, sliding motion having all of thedesired characteristics of tine furniture construction.

It will thus be seen that the principal point of novelty in the presentdisclosure is the provision of the drawer guide with the means providingconstant tension engagement with the track in the furniture frame, andthat these means comprise the longitudinally extending transverselyarcuate raised bottom portion 16 of the member of the drawer guide, andthe longitudinally spaced partially separate sections of the dependingflanges 14 ,p which carry the inwardly bowed sections 19 integrallytherewith.

The drawer guide itself being formed of resilient plastic material,possesses the necessary inherent resilience making these parts workablein the manner described in connection with the continuous slidingengagement with the track in the furniture frame, and the drawer guidethus disclosed `meets the several objects` of the invention. Having thusdescribed my invention, what I claim is:

1. A drawer guide for attachment to a drawer and engagement with a trackmember in a furniture frame, said drawer guide comprising aself-lubricating molded plate-like plastic member having two integrallymolded substantially perpendicular transversely spaced flanges dependingtherefrom, a plurality of longitudinally spaced inturned fingers on saidflanges and a plurality of inwardly bowed sections on said" anges inlongitudinally and alternately spaced relation to said fingers, withportions of the ilanges above the inwardlly bowed sections beingseparated by a slot from the plastic plate-like member to permit thesame to move relative thereto when engaged on said track.

2. The drawer guide set forth in claim 1 and wherein said plasticplate-like member is provided with an integrally molded longitudinallyand medially extending transversely arcuate depending configuration, thelower surface of which slidably engages said track when said drawerguide is positioned thereon.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,545,016 `7/1925 Sessions30S-3.6 2,606,091 8/1952 Buchy 30S-3.6 X 3,062,592 11/1962 Allen 30S-3.63,185,530 5/1965 Reiss 30S-3.6 3,201,187 8/1965 Reiss 312-346 3,211,5l010/1965 Reiss S12- 346 3,321,253 5/1'967 Everburg 30S-3.6 3,328,107 6/1967 Gutner 308-3.6 3,351,406 11/1967 Ropiequet 30S-3.6 3,363,960 8/l968Reiss 312-347 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,385,275 12/1965 France.

MARTIN P. SCHWADRON, Primary Examiner LUCIOUS L. JOHNSON, AssistantExaminer U.S. Cl. X.R. S12-346

